In Asia, instant noodle is considered a staple diet. Different countries produce different versions and flavors. Korean instant noodles are generally spicy. Japanese prefer seafood and mild spices. Thai noodles are usually packed with tom yam soup seasoning and the Indonesian noodles are of dry style with meat or fish seasoning. Whatever flavor they are, noodles are selling very well.
Malaysians are among the Asians who consume a lot of instant noodles. Thirty per cent of the consumers are children. Several children are hooked on them. The reason might be in the flavor or the noodle texture. Many people do not even consider it junk food. They take it for breakfast, lunch and supper.
A bowl of instant noodles may be a great-tasting snack. However, it should not be the main meal. It is more a snack. It can be said to be a rather nutritious snack. A packet contains protein, carbohydrates and minerals. This is not bad, considering that it can offer all these at less than a dollar.
Developed countries in the West export a large quantity of medicine to developing and third world countries today. It is estimated that more than $4 billion worth of modern medicines are imported annually by the latter. In these countries, there is not only a shortage of medicines, but also a scarcity of doctors and pharmacists. Now that western medicines are easily available in developing countries, an unexpected problem arises. These medicines can frequently be obtained by anyone without prescription from the doctors. There are drug stores selling these medicines at street corners in the cities or villages. There is generally a lack of hospitals and clinics. The ratio of doctors and pharmacists to the population in developing countries can be as low as 1 to 100 000. One can easily imagine the scenario in these developing countries. When someone falls sick, he or she is likely to go to the drug store or any medicine shop for help. These drug dealers take on the role of doctors or pharmacists by prescribing medicine without examining the sick carefully. What they prescribe is solely based on the strength of the instructions found on the labels of medicine bottles and packets.